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The Digital Nature of Epigenetics
Author(s) -
Shults Charles,
Einstein George,
Tulp Orien
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.749.8
Subject(s) - chromatin , genetics , biology , gene , computational biology , genetic code , nucleosome , computer science
The mechanism for locating a specific gene in a specific chromosome strongly suggests that some sort of digital addressing scheme must exist. Just as transfer RNA can match a specific codon to deliver an amino acid to the transcription process, it is only logical that a similar scheme would be responsible for accessing genes in the massive library of information stored in the chromosomes. Homeotic genes and epigenetics could then be linked by the activation of a modular “key ring” that calls on a specific group of genes for expression. Since the genetic code itself is a digital code, and since proteins are produced through this code, we have proof that digital control is a foundation of cellular biology and function. It is obvious that we must then ask whether this format is followed deeply throughout the process of transcription. A single, coherent model of digital storage has emerged as natural nanotechnology which we refer to as life. This model is likely to contain a set of chemical messengers that, properly keyed, will locate and attach to a chromosome at a specific site, thus allowing the cell to call on a gene as a blueprint. Chromatin is the key structure that may harbor this mechanism. The 30 nanometer structure expands from a gene being copied out of a chromosome and is the site where we should look in detail during the process. This could reveal the mechanism that unspools the gene for reading. The nucleosome is most likely the proper location due to its association with between 20 to 60 base pairs of linker DNA. A properly formed molecule may act as the key that unspools the nucleosomes. This may lead to an understanding of the basic mechanism, and thus lead to the root of epigenetic coding where a control gene or homeotic gene dispatches commands to transcribe a suite of genetic messages.